Method of and means for attaching the uprights and members of scaffolding and other structures



. i. w. MURPHY Jails 1933; 1,895,766

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR ATTAGHING THE UPRI'GHTS AND MEMBERS OF SGAFFOLDING AND OTHER STRUCTURES lfiled June 15, 1929 Patented Jan. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE wILLIAur MURPHY, or WANGARATTA, VICTORIA, AT ISTRALIQA.

M THOD OF AND MEANS or, ATT CHING THE 'UPEIGHTs AND MEMBERS or soAEEoLnrNG AND OTHER STRUCTURES Application filed June 13, 1929, Serial No. 370,590, and in Australia August 22, 1928.

-. invention has been devised to provide connected to an upright, the-inner hooks of a an improved means for attaching the uprightsand ledgers of scaffolding and other structures. 7

In describing my invention, I shall refer to the use thereof with scaffolding employed in the rerection and renovation of buildings, chimneys, and the like structures, and which consists of vertical. uprights of any shape, and transverse ledgers joined together and fastened by ropes and other devices at present in use, but it must be understood that this in. vention is not limited to scaffolding of the type referred to, as it may. be employed wherever it is desired to join twoor morepieces of timber or other material firmly together especially for the purpose of supporting weight.

7 The objects of the invention are many, one

of' which is to provide means comprising parts constructed of metal and which replaces the ordinary scaffold rope or cord at present so largely used and subject to failure, the re sult of decay and faulty binding or tying.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of and means whereby the erection and dismantling of the scaffolding may be carried out in an expeditious and simple manner, and when the scaffold is erected will provide a rigid structure for the purposes required.

As the means hereinafter described is simple in construction its manufacture is cheap, enabling sale to the public at asmall cost; furthermore the means-employed permits of the erection of scaffolding material which can be used in the erection of a building and by doing so dispense'with the present scaffolding poles, saving the cost of transport thereon, and also saving the cost of maintenance thereof ;thus on the timbers being dismantled from the scaffolding they will be undamaged and may be employed for the many purposes for which they were originally intended. I

In order that my invention may be the more easily understood reference will be made to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of thepreterred form of the clamp, and shows a ledger gripping girt, hereinafter referred to, en.- gaged in an upper recess of a bracket hereinafter described. r

Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1, the ledger being thicker and. the inner hook of the gripping girt being engagedin the lower recess of thebracket. (The outer hooks or loops being similarly used when 111)- rights of greater width areused.) Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 showing the clamp designed to accommodate an unusually thick ledger, or more than one ledger, or the lap joint of two lodgers, the inner hook of the gripping girt being shown engagedto a lower recess of a bracket.

Figure 4 illustrates abracket and girt set in position, to loosely receive a ledger. Figure 5 is a perspectiveview of a gripping girt with two hooks at each end.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a gripping girt with one hook at each end.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a gripping girt with end rings and integral lugs thereon forming hooks.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of a gripping girt with rings and hooks.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views,

showing different forms 'of a U-shaped bracket.

; Figure 12 is a perspective view, showing a single member bracket and a gripping girt connecting a ledger to an upright;

Figures 13, 1 1, 15 and 16 show in perspective modifications of the single gripping girt illustrated in Figure 12.

Figures 17, 18 and 18a show in perspective different forms of a vertical bracket composed of one member whose lower end is bent to provide a shoe (or equivalent to the trans- V It s verse member 5 of the U-shaped bracket) Figure 19 is a section of the jaw portion of the gripping girt, and shows the preferred manner of forming teeth or serrations thereon.

Figure 20 is a side view of the clamp, and shows a ledger held to an upright by a gripping girt and U-shaped'bracket, the latter.

having an eccentric lever engaging its jaw p0It1OIl.

Figure 21 is a similar view to Figure 20 with a wedge employed in lieu of the eccentric lever. c

Figure 22 illustrates a chain useable as a gripping girt. r

The preferred embodiment comprises a 7 preferably U-shaped bracket 1, whose upper parallel portions 2 constitute jaw portions adapted to grips ledger scaiiold member 4.

Said portions may have serrations,'teeth or the like 3. (see Figure .10) to enhance the grippn the member 4. lower transverse portion 5 of the U-shaped bracket constitutes I a shoe bearingagainst one side of a support- .ing upright 6 of any desired configuration.

The shape of the transverse portion or shoe 5 preferably corresponds with the shape of the upright surface with which it has sliding contact. The bracket is provided below the aw portions?) with step portions 9, adapted to support the ledger member 1, and with recesses 9a. betweenthe step portions for a purpose hereinafter described.

Connected to the -U-shaped bracket'l below the jaw portions' aforesaid is a gripping member 7termeda girth or girt'whose transverse portion 7a constitutesa girt, j aw bearing against the opposite side of the upright 6. saidrjaw is provided with teeth 8 to enhance the grip on the upright 6 said teeth being preferably formed by displacing portlons of the metal of the jaw'in opposite directions so'that the teeth are in different planes as shown by Figure 19. The teeth thus arranged enable the jaw to be inverted or arranged. wlth either side uppermost so' that the aw'is fool proof, the teeth engaging 7 the upright 6 equally wellwhetherthe jaw faces upward or downward. The said girt.

encircles the upright 6 atthe rear of the U- shaped bracket 1 which may be shaped to provide any number of steps 9 whose shape furnishes a recess or recesses 9a so that quarterings or other timber of the desired size may be joined and the girt caused to effectively grip any particular shape of upright such as a poleto which it may be attached.

The girt7 is'approximately U-shaped and is provided with bracket engaging means such, as hooks 11a Figure 5 sliding on the bracket arms, the slidable movement of the girt inv one direction being limited by [the bracketshoe portion 5 as shown by Figure {1. Saidbracket engaging means maybe provided by loopskor eyes 13 (Figures '7 and 8) the .loops shown by Figure 7 being provided withlugs 14, so that the loops (or lugs) 'may function like the hooks 11a. Additional hooks 11,.such as. those shown by Figure 5, 7

may be provided .to engage the bracket.

Links shown by Figure 22 constituting members ofa-flexible, chain length may be substituted for the rigid girts 7 or and their aws 7a or 7 0a, theend links 16 being adapted to receive the upper jaw portions 2. or 200' of the The object of the loops and hooks referred to at each end of the girt, or the large links at each end of the chain is to engage the desiredv recess 9a of the U-shaped' bracket'l and by doing so form a fulcrum so that when the bracket 1 slips down the upright 6 the ledger 4- is drawn into close contact therewith by means of the leverage exerted by its transverse portion 5 in sliding down and pressing agalnst the upright 6. The bottomand transverse portion 5 of the bracket 1, according to its distance'from the particularrecess 9am the bracket 1 and the hook 11, 11a or 14a,

or loop 13 or link 16 of the chain 15, as the case may be, inthe girt, increases the leverage and multipliesthe pressure of the jaw portions 2 of the bracket 1, pressing the ledger tightly against the upright 6,.and at 1 the same time, when using a solid or inflexible girt 7 forcing the teeth 8 onthe aw 7a thereof into the opposite side of the upright 6, thereby ensuring a. much firmer and more secure assemblage of the upright 6 and the Iledgcr .4.

- The bracketl may also be made single instead of U-shaped (see Flgures 12, 17 and 18) and it may be stepped or recessed and furnished with a shoe portion-17 at its lower end U-shaped brackets 1 or 100, respec? tively.

which is wider than the. bracket to bear against the upright 6 andby so doingexert the necessary leverage. I f

The single bracketshown by Figures 12, 17, 18 and 18a comprises a body portion providedat one .end witha shoe portion 17 Y which bears on the upright 6, and at the opposite end with a jaw portion 200 which bears on the ledger 4:. The single bracket is 90 and one. or more recesses 90a similar to the step' portions 9 andrecessesQa onthe U- shaped bracket.

The girth or girt bracket is shown by Figs. 13, 14, 15 and 16, and comprises a body portion 70, havingat one end a jaw portion. 70a, similar to the 72 (as in Fig. 14.) either one of which may engage the single bracket. Fig. 15 shows used with the single the loop 73 provided with a lug 140 simi- 7 lar to the lugs 14 (Fig. 7).

Each form of bracket may have a plurality of steps 9 and recesses 9a to provide for a greater Variety of ledgers. It is obvious that the bracket l'ma'y require a differently shaped girt with one-hook or one loop, or one loop and one hook, or amultiple of hooks and loops to embrace a greaterv variety of also provided with one or more step portions sizes of ledgers 4 andjup'rights 6, or if it desired the chain girt (:see Figure 22) may be used, said girt having a link near or at each end of the chain passed downwardly over the jaw portions '2 to the necessary position on the bracket 1. From the above it will be seen that the greater the weight or load within certain limits superimposed on the ledger, considering the 'strength' of the component parts viz. the U-shaped bracketl,

the girt '7, the upright 6 and the ledger 4, the more securely'will the apparatus grip and clamp the ledger against theupright.

' 'Thepurposes'of the invention are not limited to the use of scantlings or quarterings for the erection of scafioldings, as by a slight alteration in thedesign of the means hereinbefore described it may be used for attaching round poles together similar to those employed in ordinary scaffolding and-when designed for the use with ordinary scaffold poles may also be employed for attaching or joining square or other shaped timbers or scantlings of suitable sizeand dimensions. 1

When attaching the device for the purpose of erecting a scaffold, I first of all lay out the ledgers 4 :along or around (as the case may be) the structure to be erected or demolished and approximately along the proposed line or position of the uprights 6, allowing each ledger 4 to lap for about one foot the next succeeding ledger if it is intended to erect a scaffold of any considerable length. I then set an upright 6 in the ground orin a cask, or may attach a base or footto said upright 6 or adopt any other of the usual methods that will enable it to stand in position-opposite each lap of the ledgers. 'Otheruprights 6 are spaced and set in position at the desired distance between the uprights previously placed. .1 then take a girt 7 one hand and a bracket 1 in the othe'r, and first pass the girt around the upright 6 at the desired height I then passthe bracketl upwards through the loops 13 or hooks 11, 11a, 14 or 14a or links 16 of the chain girt, according to the size of the ledger 4 and the size ofthe upright 6, until the bottom 5 of the bracket 1 prevents any :further upward .motion of the bracket 1, at the same time allowing the upper portion of same to fall outwardly away from the upright, then holding the girt against the back of the uprightwith one hand I remove the other hand from the bracket and the apparatus assumes the 'position shown in Figure 4. This, as will readily be seen, forms a temporary bracket and when this process has been repeatedto eachof the uprights 6 comprisingthat portion of the proposed scaffold, the workman may then lift and loosely place in the temporary brackets thus formed the ledgers 4 of the proposed scafl'old. I

It is obvious that a bracket of larger size will be required to accommodate the ledgers where they lap (see Figures'3'or 11). Then :the workmamstanding under one endnof the ledger 4,iraises it slightly with his shoulder atthe same time slippingthe bracket 1 down wardly through the loop or loopsor hook or hooks of the'girt, until the-said loop or loops, or hook or hooks, engage-in the desiredre- 'cess or recesses of the bracket 1 according to the size of the material being used, at the same time holding the ledger 4in position for the portion or portions 2 of the bracket to engage the ledger 4. Then holdingthe girt -7 against the back of the upright 6 with one hand, the workman lowers his shoulder until the bracket 1 slips down the upright 6 en gaging the ledger 4 and pressing ittightly against the upright 6. This operation is re peated until the ledgers lareiall assembled in their respective positionson the uprights.

The intermediate clamps are similarly-asuntil the girt iszstrained'and adjusted into a horizontal position, Whenthe/wedge .19 may be secured'to the upright with a nail 20a.

If desired an eccentric lever-20 (Fig; 20) with an open eye21sufii'ciently large to fit the jaw portion 5 of the bracket 1 may be employed and pressed downwardlyiorcingthe 'girt 7 into a horizontal position andstraining the ledger 4 to the upright 6. The eccentric lever 20 mayalso be aper'manent attachment to the bracket i. e; with an eye sufliciently large to permit of free movement ion the shoeportion 5, or it may be furnished with an eye sufiiciently large to's'lip downwardly on the"b'racket to its position on said shoe portion 5 ofthe bracket. Sometimes a blow with a hammer or other suitable implement is availed of to tighten the bracket and ledger more securely in position, v.

It'will be'seen by th" above method of operating the invention that a scaffold .of any size (considering the weight of the compo nent parts and the strength of'thej workman employed) maybeerected one man without assistance. I

j ,Another method'that may be employed is to partly drive a nail in the backof each upright and immediately below the position of the girt, and after the scaffolding members and the device are all assembled together as aforementioned, to further drive the nail and bend it upwardly around the girt or the nail may be'entirely withdrawn In the case'a short 'chain isused it will be necessary :for the workman to support the ledger on his shoulder or Otherwise while the chain and the bracket are set in position and adjusted.

Various ways may be adopted for dismantling the scaffold. One isto forcibly drive the ledger upwards out of its position and another is togive theshoe portion ofthe bracket 1 a sharp upward or ramming blow with a short piece of timber or other suitable implement, and hold the bracket momentarily (or in other words hit and hold) when the, bracket will again assume thetemporary povportion adapted tobear against one side of 1 anupright member 6, a step portion 9, spaced above the'shoe portion, and adapted tosupport aledger member 4, recess portions9a toreceive engaging portions of, a girt, and for purpos'esof adjustment to accommodate different sizes of ledger members 4, and a j awportion 2'above the step portion, adapted to clamp the ledger member against the upright member, and a girt engageable with the bracket" and including a jaw portion 7a adapted to bear against the opposite side of the upright member 6. i v r It will also be seen that the illustrated arrangement is such that the bracket and girt jaw portions are caused by the weight of the ledger member 4 to grip the opposite sides'of-the ledger 4 and upright 6, when the ledger member issupported by the step portion of the bracket, and that the clamp may be applied to the upright member 6, temporarily adjusted as shown by Figure 4 to loosely support the ledger member with-' out exertingclamping pressure thereon, and

then adjusted as shown by Figure 1 to cause the step and clamping portions to support and clamp the Iedgermember;

In the embodiment shown by Figures'12 to 18a inclusive the bracket is a-single rod (not U-shaped) and has a one or two part step portion 9, one or more recess portions 9a, a one part jaw or clamping, portion 2, and a shoe portion 17 projecting in opposite directions from the bracket, the shoe being wider than the bracket.

.- In the preferred embodiment shown by Figures 1 to 4, 9 and 11, andby Figures 20 and 21, the bracket is substantially U-shaped and has a, duplex or two part step portion 9,

- 9 and a duplex aw or clamping portion 2, 2. I

' by the step portion.

is a, neck connecting. the bracket arms.

Iclaim: i v;- 1. A scaffold clamp comprising a bracket including .a shoe-portion, adapted to bear against oneside of an upright scafi'old member, a step portion spaced above the shoe portion andadapted to support a ledger member, and a clamping portio'n above the step portion adapted to exert clampingpressure onsaid ledger member,;-and a girt; having means. slidably v engaged with said 7 bracket,

vThe shoe portion 5 of the U.-shaped bracket 7 said girt including a jaw portion adapted to bear againstthe opposite side of the upright member and confine the bracket shoe portion thereagainst, the bracket shoe ortion limit,- ing the slidingmovementoft e girt on the bracket-in onedirection, thearrange'ment being such that the clamp may be applied to the upright member, temporarily adjusted to loosely supportthe ledger member with- 1 out exerting clampingpressure thereon, and

then adjusted to cause the step and clamping portions 7 to support and clamp the ledger member,,the step portion of the bracket be:

ing recessed to co-operate with :the bracket engaging means of the girt in confiningthe clamping portion of the bracket against the ledger member when the latter is supported '2. A scaffold clamp comprising a bracket including ashoe'portion adapted to bear against one side of an upright scafl'old member, a step portion spaced from'the'shoe portion and adapted to support a ledger member, and a clampingportion above the step portion, adapted to clamp the ledger against the upright member; and a girt engageable with the bracket and including a jaw portion adapted to bearagainst the opposite side of the upright member, the arrangement being such that the weight of the ledger member and the load superimposed-thereon exert? ed onrthe step portion, causes said jaw and .shoe to grip said members and clamp the same together, the step and clamping portions of the bracket being duplex and provided by, the arms of'anapproximately' U-shaped body and the shoe portion provided by a neck connecting said arms atone end of the body, the

girt being approximately U-shaped when in use and including end portions each having bracket engaging means slidable on said arms, said girt also having a" neck portion having teeth arranged in difl'erent planes so that'the girt is invertible; 1 Y 1 f In testimonyvwhereof I have afiix'edm signature to this specification.

GEORGE WILLIAM MURPHY;

. ciao 

